This project is a pilot study to obtain, urgently-needed data on optimum placement of lifting and carrying handles on awkward, bulky objects. Manual Materials handling, accounting for about 25-30% of compensable injuries, has been recognized by NIOSH as a significant safety hazard and a significant research area. Within this area the problem of design and placement of handles, or other devices to couple the material to the human operator, has emerged as one with inadequate data to provide usable recommendations to designers. This research has as its objective the determination of the optimum position and angle of carrying handles on bulky cubic boxes--a frequently-encountered manual materials handling object. Ten subjects, chosen to represent the adult male population, will each perform a holding task using three box sizes, two box weights and nine handle positions. Measurements will be taken of arm forces required, angle of handle, heart rate and subjective ratings of local and general exertion. Biomechanical analysis of results will include an evaluation of the role of body/box friction in manual materials handling tasks.